Seat back lowering mechanism



July 5, 1955 H. c. BORISCH 2,712,345 SEAT BACK LOWERING MECHANISM I Filed Sept. 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. HENRY C. BOR/SCH y 1955 H. c. BORISCH 2,712,345

SEAT BACK LOWERING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTbR. HEN/P) C. BUR/SCH United States Patent 0 2,712,345 7 SEAT BACK LOWERING MECHANISM Henry C. Borisch, Detroit, Mich., assignor to American Motors Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Application September 26, 1952, Serial No. 311,709 9 Claims. (Cl. 155-7) reclining positions.

I am aware that the convertible seat arrangement for automobiles is not broadly new. Under the circumstances it will be manifest that it is my chief aim to genseats and lock said seats against displacement.

A further object of the invention is to provide spaced brackets provided with notches formed similarly ineach the claims."

Referring to the'dr'awings: Figure 1 is a.diagrammatic elevational view of an automobile body employing the present inventlon.

2,712,345 Patented July 5 1955 view showing the arrangement respect to a full double front seat Figure 2 is a perspective of my invention with structure.

Figure ,3 is a detailed perspective view illustrating in disassembled or exploded position certain of the parts illustrated in Figure 2.

Referring now indetail tothe drawings, a vehicle body Within the mounting Figures 2 and 3, inclusive, the seat frame 12 includes transversely bars 15 and 16 which are fastened shaped and designated by numeral 20.,

A pair of spacedrelatively wide reinforcing plates 21 and 22 are anchored to the distance beyond the aperture 19. Th

this particular arrangement will be given later'as this description progresses.

through aperture 19.

Attention is also directed to another of said rods 26, characterized by the numeral 26b. is rod projects description progresses.

Each of the brackets 18 and 21 and 22 are provided with an enlarged opening 29 at the upper end adapted to at an angle downwardly and away 9s from the end wall of seat back 34. The notches are spaced and in operative position intermittently engaging a portion of said latch rods. The disposition of the segments 31 at both ends of the seat back with the latch rods arranged to engage the notches of the segments, provide adequate support for the seat back when said seat is occupied and the occupant leans against said seat back.

Attention is directed to the inside end walls of seat backs 14-, one end wall of which is designated by the numeral 14a. Rotatably mounted on the hinge pin 29a secured to the end wall 14:: and adjacent thereto is a substantially flat faced link member 32. in the instant disclosure, two separate seat backs are shown; therefore, one of said links 32 will be mounted on each inside end wall 14a with the flat side of each link arranged parallel with its respective end wall 14a. The link comprises two integral sections, one of which is designated as the upper section 33 and the other, the lower section 34 separated by the opening 35 which receives the hinge pin 23a. The free end of upper section 33 provides space for mounting one end of a coil spring 36, the otherend of said spring secured in the end wall 14a of its respective seat back 14. Between the free end of section 33 and the opening 35, an enlarged slot 331,: is formed or cut through the flat side of upper section 33. This slot is of substantial length and sufficient width to receive a pin 37 anchored in the end walls 14a whereby the bracket or link member 32 is free to swing rotatively about the pivot pin 29a within'the limits permitted by the elongated slot 33a. The lower section 34 projects downwardly and parallel to the plate 21. The other link member 32 would be arranged parallel to the other plate 22.. The width of the free end of lower section 34 is of sufiicient proportions to readily accommodate a toothed or notched segment 38 which is welded or otherwise secured to the inside fiat surface of the lower section 34 and parallel and facing the toothed portion of the notched segment 31. The peculiar arrangement of the link member 32 with respect to the spring 36 and slot 33a is such that the link 32 may have so-called floating characteristics. That is, the member 32 alignes the notches in segments 31 and 32 during movement of latch rod from segment 31 to segment 32 to permit automatic lowering of the seat back one notch at a time.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 a torsion spring 39 is wound around each end of operating shaft 25 with one end of said spring wound around the adjacent latch rod and the other end of said spring bearing on the extending tubular bar 15. I

Each end of seat frame 12. is perforated to provide openings in line with apertures 19 and 20 in bracket 18. The free ends of the operating shaft and latch rod 67(- tend through the seat perforations and are secured in one end of are operating lever 46. The torsion spring 39 continuously urges the operating shaft 25 rotatively in one direction to return the latch rods to notch engaging position in segments 31 when manual pressure on handle it? is released after manual pressure on handle is released, gravity forces the seat back to drop backwardly and torsion spring 39 causes latch rod 26 to move up into the succeeding notch in the segment 31.

A collar 41 is arranged on operating shaft 25 between bracket 18 and coil spring 39 and, in operative position, is in contact with bracket 18. This collar ordinarily is secured to operating rod by a cotter pin which passes through an aperture provided in said collar and an aligned aperture provided through said operating rod. The particular function of this collar is to prevent outward longitudinal movement of the operating shaft and latch rod.

Attention is directed to the actual operating ends of operating shaft 25 and latch rod 26. It will be noted that the free end of the operating shaft terminates and is rotatably mounted in aperture the free end of latch rod 26 passes through the aperture 23 of bracket 21 while "r it) 24 of bracket 21 sufficiently to be aligned with the notches in segment 38 of the link member 32.

In normal seating position the latch rod rests within the first notch 4-2 of each of the segments 31.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the positioning of latch rods 26 in the arcuately shaped apertures 20 is such that as lever 40 is pushed downwardly, the latch rod will move in said aperture 20 downwardly and away from containing notch 42 of segment 31 and into notch 43 of the segment 38 of the link member 32.

As the release from notch 42 to notch 43 is gradually downward, the seat back must accordingly move a distance calculated from the distance occasioned by release of latch rod in notch 42 to 43.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the segment includes four notches designated by the numerals 42, 42a, 42b and 42c. it will also be noted that the segment 38 is provided with notches 43, 43a, 43b and 430. In actual operation, therefore, the seat back, with the arrangement as disclosed, could be adjusted and locked in four predetermined positions. When the latchrod is disengaged fully from notch 420 there is a continued backward swinging movement of the seat back 14 downwardly and uninterruptedly to a complete reclining or bed position. When the latch rod is disengaged from notch 42 when the seat back is being tilted forwardly from the reclining or bed position, such forward tilting may be freely carried out uninterruptedly to a forward position. It is thought that the construction, manipulation, utility, and advantages of this invention will now be apparent to those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof.

The present embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail merely for the purposes of exemplification since in actual practice it attains the features of the invention and the above description;

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is:

1. In combination, a seat frame, a seat back, two segments secured to said seat back, one adjacent each end thereof, said segments having a plurality of notches therein, a stationary support adjacent each segment mounted on said frame, a pair of hinge pins secured to said seat back, one adjacenteach end thereof, said pins engaged with said supports, a link, said link pivotally mounted on one of said pins and arranged adjacent the opposite side of one of said supports, said link provided with a segment having a plurality of notches therein, an operating shaft, a pair of latch rods mounted onsaid operating shaft, one adjacent each end thereof, saidshaft and rods being engaged with said supports, one of said rods arranged to intermittently engage one or the other of said first mentioned notches and said second mentioned notches.

2. In combination, a seat frame, a seat back, two segments secured to said seat back, one adjacent each end thereof, said segments having a plurality of notches therein, a stationary support adjacent each segment mounted on said frame, said supports arranged in spaced relation to one another and having aligned apertures, a pair of binge pins secured to said seat back, one adjacent each end thereof, said pins engaged with said supports, a link, said link pivotally mounted on one of said pins and arranged adjacent the opposite side of one of said supports, said link provided with a segment having a plurality of notches therein, an operating shaft, a pair of latch rods mounted on said operating shaft, one adjacent each end thereof, said shaft and rods being engaged in said apertures, one of said rods arranged to intermittently engage one or the other of said first mentioned notches and said second mentioned notches.

3. In combination, a seat frame,-a seat back, two seginents secured to said seat back, one adjacent each end thereof, said segments having a plurality of notches therein, a stationary support adjacent each segment mounted on said frame, said supports arranged in spaced relation to one another, each support being provided with a pair of openings, one of said openings in said pair in each support being arcuately shaped, each pair of said openings in said opposed supports aligned with each other, a pair of hinged pins secured to said seat back, one adjacent each end thereof, said pins engaged with said supports, a link, said link pivotally mounted on one of said pins and arranged adjacent the opposite side of one of said supports, said link provided with a segment having a plurality of notches therein, an operating shaft, a pair of latch rods mounted on said operating shaft, one adjacent each end thereof, said shaft being engaged with one pair of aligned openings, each of said rods being engaged with the adjacent arcuately shaped opening, one of said rods arranged to intermittently engage one or the other of said first mentioned notches and said second one end of said spring secured to said seat back, the other end of said spring mounted on one end of said link, said link provided with a segment at its other end having a plurality of notches therein, an operating shaft, a pair of latch rods mounted on said operating shaft, one adjacent each end thereof, said shaft 5. In combination, a seat frame, a seat back, two segments secured to said seat back, one adjacent each end thereof, said segments having a plurality of notches therein, a stationary support adjacent each segment mounted back, one adjacent each end thereof, with said supports, a link, said link pivotally mounted on one of said pins and arranged adjacent the opposite side of one of said supports, said link provided with a segment having a plurality of notches therein,

6 mounted on one end of, said link, the other end secured to said seat back, said link provided withsa segment at its other end having a plurality of notches therein,':an operating shaft, a pair of latch rods mounted on said'op erating shaft, one adjacent each end thereof, said shaft and rods being engaged with said support, one end of' manually operated.

8. In combination, ments secured to said pin, said guide pin secured in said seat back adjacent said link, said link provided with a slot, said guide pin arranged to project into said slot, a coil spring, one end of said springs mounted on one i I notch of the first mentioned segments and a notch of said link segment. i

. 9. In combination, a seat frame, a seat back, two segments secured to said seat back, one adjacent each end thereof, said segments having a plurality of notches therein, a stationary support adjacent each segment mounted on said frame, a pair of hinged pins secured to said seat back, one adjacent each end thereof, said pins engaged with said supports, a link, said link pivotaliy mounted on one of said pins and arranged adjacent the opposite side of one of said supports, said link provided with a segment having a plurality of notches therein, an operating shaft, a pair of latch rods mounted on said shaft, one adjacent each end thereof, said shaft and rods being engaged with said supports, a hand lever mounted on one end of said shaft and one of said rods, spaced coil springs arranged on said operating shaft, one

8 free end of each spring wound around one of said rods, the other free end of said spring bearing on said frame, whereby said rods and shaft may be held under spring tension, one of said rods arrangedto intermittentlyengage one or the other of said first mentioned notches and said second mentioned notches to cause automatic lowering of said seat back one notch at a time by manual manipulation of said hand lever.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS Oct. 8, 1889 

